In a move that perfectly encapsulates the upside-down priorities of California’s progressive leadership, Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a new law that will demand ID for anyone under 18 buying certain weight-loss or muscle-building supplements. This comes even as the same governor has actively worked to prevent common-sense measures like voter ID for actual elections. The message from Sacramento is clear: they want to control what your children eat, but not how easy it is to cheat the ballot box.
Beginning January 1, 2027, retailers across the Golden State will be forced to card customers for products like creatine, with heavy fines looming for those who fail to comply. Authored by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, Assembly Bill 2030, signed by Newsom on September 28, casts a wide net, targeting anything marketed for weight loss or muscle development. This means familiar products such as green tea extract, raspberry ketone, and even creatine itself are now under the watchful eye of the state bureaucracy, effectively requiring a "permission slip" to pursue fitness goals.
Lowenthal’s stated concern centers on social media trends, arguing that children are being "pushed to buy untested supplements promising dramatic effects on their bodies." Yet, common sense dictates that parental guidance, not state mandates, should be the primary arbiter of such choices. Instead, California Democrats opt for more government control, pushing families further out of the decision-making process.
The overreach isn’t lost on the industry. Supplement trade groups, including the Consumer Healthcare Products Association and the Council for Responsible Nutrition, have vociferously objected to the law’s vague and expansive criteria. Steve Mister of the nutrition council warned that the broad language could inadvertently sweep in everything from fiber and protein powders to multivitamins and general wellness products, forcing retailers into an impossible position.
Meanwhile, those on the ground are questioning the necessity of such a draconian measure. Dean Riley, a fitness enthusiast in Bakersfield, told local news that teenagers aren’t "overdosing" on these products, nor are they typically found frequenting vitamin stores for them. Lucia Clevenger, a supplement shop owner, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing that the issue ultimately comes down to parental responsibility – a concept increasingly alien to California’s ruling class.
Retailers face a steep penalty of $500 per violation, with state and local attorneys empowered to pursue legal action. Online sellers aren't exempt, either; they must implement robust age verification systems before shipping products into California, or require adult signatures upon delivery. More red tape, more burdens on small businesses, all in the name of "protecting" minors from something parents are perfectly capable of addressing.
But here’s where the true absurdity of California’s progressive agenda shines through: this same Governor Newsom, who now demands identification to buy creatine, also signed a bill in 2024 that explicitly bars local governments from requiring photo identification to vote. Let that sink in. In California, you’ll soon need ID to buy a protein shake, but not to cast a ballot that determines the future of the state and nation. The priorities of the radical left couldn't be clearer: control individual choices while dismantling safeguards for election integrity.
This isn't an isolated incident. Newsom also approved a 2024 law restricting smartphone use in public schools, another example of the state dictating what was once the purview of local communities and parents. New York, a fellow bastion of progressive policy, enacted a similar supplement restriction in 2023, a law now being challenged on First Amendment grounds by the nutrition council at the U.S. Supreme Court. The legal fight for freedom from government overreach continues.
This latest move from California is not about health; it’s about control. It’s another calculated step by the left to expand the administrative state’s reach into the daily lives of American families, eroding parental authority and individual liberty under the guise of protection. It’s a stark reminder that while they obsess over what’s on supplement shelves, they turn a blind eye to the integrity of our elections, demonstrating exactly where their true power priorities lie. Americans deserve better than this paternalistic, hypocritical governance.
